Training in Thailand

[RJ Powell**]

If you want something in between those 2 extremes. Go fairtex. Im tellin ya.

 

[Ranma]

I won't be going there for mma or grappling, but there mma program looks great. Ray Elbe runs the mma classes. I believe TMT got more gold medals last SEA grappling games than any other gym.

That's not saying much when barely anybody grapples in that region....Most guys there are there to train Muay Thai...
My BJJ instructor at Chai-Yai (currently a BTT Black Belt) told me I would have done well in one of those tournaments (and I don't consider myself well versed in BJJ especially back then) but I was too busy training for a fight(s)...

Tiger probably did well because they sent a more guys than any other gym....

And if you're not in the loop; you might not know that there's a tournament happening....


But if you have your heart set on Tiger......then do it....

 

[Art Vandelay]

Who wrote that piece of shit?

I've never been to Tiger but plan on going next month because i've heard some great things about it.

They have some great trainers with impressive resumes. One of the trainers is an ex ibf world boxing champ.

Mike Swick, Muhsin Corbbrey, Bobby Southworth, Jess Liaundin, and Alex Reid have all been there. Alan Belcher is also going there sometime before September.

I won't be going there for mma or grappling, but there mma program looks great. Ray Elbe runs the mma classes. I believe TMT got more gold medals last SEA grappling games than any other gym.

Excited to go

It looks like it was written by a middle-aged woman from California, who had no previous striking experience, and despite travels across the globe, was unfamiliar with common money issues that are prevalent in all tourist locations.

 

[loafyofbread]

damnit, this is really throwing me off. i was really close to booking my spot for next year at TMT...however...all these bad comments and stuff, i hope they're just not real.

so should i still go?

 

[WintersMMA]

That's not saying much when barely anybody grapples in that region....Most guys there are there to train Muay Thai...
My BJJ instructor at Chai-Yai (currently a BTT Black Belt) told me I would have done well in one of those tournaments (and I don't consider myself well versed in BJJ especially back then) but I was too busy training for a fight(s)...

Tiger probably did well because they sent a more guys than any other gym....

And if you're not in the loop; you might not know that there's a tournament happening....


But if you have your heart set on Tiger......then do it....

Well considering they have Ray Elbe there, it is saying something. lol look how many armbar wins he has. He placed in 5th for most wins by armbar in mma fights. He also competed and won in that tourney. Ole Laursen competed in the white belt division 2 or 3 years ago. I guess he isn't exactly a grappler but he was hanging in there with Genki Sudo in his first mma fight.. I guess because they have a great grappling trainer at Legacy gym named Malike something. Dude has won like 9 tourneys/fights by flying triangle. Strong ass Afghani/Swedish guy.


Yeah it's no comparison to adcc or pan but it was pretty good considering what part of the world it's in. Also if it is a shit gym than why are all these famous mma fighters going there. I think they've changed it around alot and recruited some excellent trainers and also bought some great equipment. I mean what other gym in Thailand has kettlebells?

I'm not saying that TMT is the best gym in Thailand nor am I expecting it to be. I'm happy at my gym right now training with Ramazan and some Magomedovs. Too bad Dzabar doesnt train here anymore

Like I said i'm not going to go to Tiger for the grappling or mma. I'm going there to train for a couple weeks and fight. I usually train in Bangkok but the air is pretty shitty and I'd like a couple weeks by the beach to get my cardio where it should be. The good thing about TMT is they are setting people up with fights like every 2-3 days. It's riskey taking fights at unkown gyms in Thailand. This place i'm at right now is infamous for setting up foreigners with supposed "easy fights" but they put you in with a vet and bet against you. Some guys have been hurt pretty bad and I know 2 people personally who left my gym because of it.

And they have guys who don't train seriously at almost every gym in Thailand. Fuck when I was at Fairtex I think more than half the guys there where out drinking and shagging every night. Even at Lukbanyai some of the fighters are smoking ciggs after training. You will find guys like that at every gym some time or another.

If you don't want to wait in line for a good trainer than come earlier than everyone else. I've always done this and it always works

 

[loafyofbread]

Well considering they have Ray Elbe there, it is saying something. lol look how many armbar wins he has. He placed in 5th for most wins by armbar in mma fights. He also competed and won in that tourney. Ole Laursen competed in the white belt division 2 or 3 years ago. I guess he isn't exactly a grappler but he was hanging in there with Genki Sudo in his first mma fight.. I guess because they have a great grappling trainer at Legacy gym named Malike something. Dude has won like 9 tourneys/fights by flying triangle. Strong ass Afghani/Swedish guy.


Yeah it's no comparison to adcc or pan but it was pretty good considering what part of the world it's in. Also if it is a shit gym than why are all these famous mma fighters going there. I think they've changed it around alot and recruited some excellent trainers and also bought some great equipment. I mean what other gym in Thailand has kettlebells?

I'm not saying that TMT is the best gym in Thailand nor am I expecting it to be. I'm happy at my gym right now training with Ramazan and some Magomedovs. Too bad Dzabar doesnt train here anymore

Like I said i'm not going to go to Tiger for the grappling or mma. I'm going there to train for a couple weeks and fight. I usually train in Bangkok but the air is pretty shitty and I'd like a couple weeks by the beach to get my cardio where it should be. The good thing about TMT is they are setting people up with fights like every 2-3 days. It's riskey taking fights at unkown gyms in Thailand. This place i'm at right now is infamous for setting up foreigners with supposed "easy fights" but they put you in with a vet and bet against you. Some guys have been hurt pretty bad and I know 2 people personally who left my gym because of it.

And they have guys who don't train seriously at almost every gym in Thailand. Fuck when I was at Fairtex I think more than half the guys there where out drinking and shagging every night. Even at Lukbanyai some of the fighters are smoking ciggs after training. You will find guys like that at every gym some time or another.

If you don't want to wait in line for a good trainer than come earlier than everyone else. I've always done this and it always works

I think you have a very good point. It doesnt matter which gym you go to, ultimately...what you put in is what you get. and most gyms have guys that are not after "hardcore" training...

so yea, i guess im just going to go ahead and book my flight and accommodations at TMT.

cheers.

 

[Ranma]

Yeah it's no comparison to adcc or pan but it was pretty good considering what part of the world it's in. Also if it is a shit gym than why are all these famous mma fighters going there. I think they've changed it around alot and recruited some excellent trainers and also bought some great equipment. I mean what other gym in Thailand has kettlebells?

)

Those fighters are probably going there to relax and enjoy the beaches and nightlife of Phuket rather than really train Muay Thai....
Muay Thai will be more of a secondary objective...


But more importantly...Who really cares where MMA guys go to train in Thailand (and that list of fighters was not exactly mindblowing in regards to being "famous" fighters)?

The question you should be asking is where do all the top Muay Thai guys (Falang and Thai) go to train in Thailand?

Not Tiger!!!

 

[Ranma]

I think you have a very good point. It doesnt matter which gym you go to, ultimately...what you put in is what you get. and most gyms have guys that are not after "hardcore" training...

so yea, i guess im just going to go ahead and book my flight and accommodations at TMT.

cheers.

Every gym will have guys who just fuck around....
And there will be days (usually Saturday) where everybody will goof off and relax....

But you have to realize that some gyms will have more fuck-ups than others....
You don't want to train at a gym that is filled with guys who aren't serious about training...

But things can change pretty quickly at these camps...
In a span of months great camps can become shit camps and shit camps can become pretty decent ones...
So who knows....Maybe Tiger has improved....

That being said "Good luck with training at Tiger!"

 

[macardinal]

Damn bro, 3+ months. What do you do for a living?

But if you can do it, go for it. You cant go wrong with fairtex, great training and instruction, but is a bit pricey.

yeah, its a trip i've been planning for and saving for about 3 years really. im just taking about a year out to travel round asia with a heavy focus on muay thai training and whatever else i find when im away (i believe they have gracie jiu jkitsu at fairtex pattaya no??). the reason i chose fairtex was due to a national geographic documentary i saw a few years back featuring sam sheridan training with apidej at bangplee (does anyone know if this is posted anywhere) and just decided there and then that i was going, then i started saving and planning! thinking about wmc on ko samui as well if anyone has any experiences they can share from there??? cheers

 

[macardinal]

without any fights or any hard sparring practice

by hard sparring like do you mean you've never done that? at all??
it may be a shock to you when you get there since they do go quite hard.I don't know how skilled you are but thats just a word or warning

i stated i hadnt had any fights or done any hard sparring, thats not totally accurate. i trained and had a couple of boxing fights a few years ago and due to injuries (torn acl) i have not done any thai sparring for over a year. i have recovered recently and its due to this that im now going to thailand to train to FIGHT, not a tourist fitness excercise! i know what its like to hit and be hit, its been a while thats all and i think when i get back to sparring it will feel like its been even longer! im looking forward to being pushed to the limits in sparring and on the pads! i used to go sparring with a couple of ex 80kg+ paratroopers.... which could get really nasty.....

 

[ambertch]

RE: Ray Elbe and TMT - the dude's a purple belt. Which is like 3-5 years of BJJ training. So I'm sure you can still learn from him unless you are already more accomplished than him, right?

And I'm sure if you are already tooling purple belts in BJJ, there are MT camps that have Black belt instructors. I can't remember off the top of my head but one of the Koh Samui camps had a BB from brazil teaching the MMA classes.



The other thing to consider is for first timers. Thailand is hot and humid, and no offense intended but it's a shithole compared to America. I've never been but I've been to China, vietnam, malaysia and phillipines and those places are a shock to most Americans. For a first timer you'd probably want a western furnished place filled with english speakers and other foreigners, like TMT or Fairtex Pattaya.


resist the temptation to be hardcore/badass and pick a camp that most suits you I'm planning on going to more of a vacation Muay Thai location for my 2 month trip to get acclimated, then when I'll learn Thai and go back for 6 months to a more hardcore location

 

[Gandhi]

i am thinking hard about going for a month

 

[loafyofbread]

The other thing to consider is for first timers. Thailand is hot and humid, and no offense intended but it's a shithole compared to America. I've never been but I've been to China, vietnam, malaysia and phillipines and those places are a shock to most Americans. For a first timer you'd probably want a western furnished place filled with english speakers and other foreigners, like TMT or Fairtex Pattaya.

I am sorry, i tried so hard to not see any offence in that sentence, but just couldnt. there are ALOT of things that Thailand has that is better than America. how about some humbleness?

 

[RJ Powell**]

Meh, we are spoiled as americans. I'm used to southeast asia though, mainly cause i have lived and visited the philippines every year all my life. Not to mention previous travels, i love the life there, it's so simple and carefree compared to the unsatisfied miserable people here.

It's not TOO much of a culture shock.

 

[eateer]

I am sorry, i tried so hard to not see any offence in that sentence, but just couldnt. there are ALOT of things that Thailand has that is better than America. how about some humbleness?

true to that i was just down in the islands this weekend doing some rock climbing and diving. Kinda bumbed i didn't see any sharks but had some pretty nice weather. Either way i wouldn't go as far as to call this place a shithole.

 

[WintersMMA]

RE: Ray Elbe and TMT - the dude's a purple belt. Which is like 3-5 years of BJJ training. So I'm sure you can still learn from him unless you are already more accomplished than him, right?

And I'm sure if you are already tooling purple belts in BJJ, there are MT camps that have Black belt instructors. I can't remember off the top of my head but one of the Koh Samui camps had a BB from brazil teaching the MMA classes.

Yeah the WMC camp in koh samui was claiming they had a bunch of jits guys including black belts training there. They even had there pics on the website. They said Marcus Aurelio was one of the trainers! I was planning on going there and I asked my friend Eiland from the contender asia who has been down there training with Dzabar, Zidov, and Joachim. He said it's completely BS and there's no black belts training jits there.

Also I know guys who stopped climbing rankings in BJJ. The trainer Malik in Legacy Gym stopped at purple belt years ago and he tools black belts in sub grappling tournaments. Some people just stop jits and focus on sub grappling.

 

[WintersMMA]

Those fighters are probably going there to relax and enjoy the beaches and nightlife of Phuket rather than really train Muay Thai....
Muay Thai will be more of a secondary objective...


But more importantly...Who really cares where MMA guys go to train in Thailand (and that list of fighters was not exactly mindblowing in regards to being "famous" fighters)?

The question you should be asking is where do all the top Muay Thai guys (Falang and Thai) go to train in Thailand?

Not Tiger!!!

Not mindblowing? LOL wtf do you expect Gomi or Liddell to come train here? I think the stable of fighters that have come here is pretty good. I never said it was MINDBLOWING.

Alan Belcher says he's going there to train and get ready for his Sept UFC fight. Not just to chill on the beach...Swick may have been on more of a vacation than anything..But he did still train and gave free seminars.

Sure there are probably better gyms for top level fighters to go to, I never said this was the best gym for that. Like I said before there are good fighters and slackoffs at every gym. TMT also dominates every fight card they have fought on. Now I don't know the quality of opponents they are finding for their fighters..I'm looking forward to seeing who they put me up against when i'm down there. Hopefully it's not some tuk tuk driver...

But even Ray Elbe is like 5-0 or 6-0 in pro muay thai fights now in Phuket. It's definitely a good place to go if you want to start off your muay thai career. And if you are training hard and they have decent equipment + great trainers, it doesnt matter what gym you are at as long as you are putting in the work.

 

[Ranma]

Not mindblowing? LOL wtf do you expect Gomi or Liddell to come train here? I think the stable of fighters that have come here is pretty good. I never said it was MINDBLOWING.
.

You did say "famous"....a more accurate term for that list would be "sort of famous" or "kind of famous"....or some people may have heard of them....:icon_twis


And yes...Famous to me would be Gomi or Liddell....

 

[Ranma]

The other thing to consider is for first timers. Thailand is hot and humid, and no offense intended but it's a shithole compared to America. I've never been but I've been to China, vietnam, malaysia and phillipines and those places are a shock to most Americans. For a first timer you'd probably want a western furnished place filled with english speakers and other foreigners, like TMT or Fairtex Pattaya.

Thailand has 25 million tourists visiting every year....
Needless to say, it is very tourist friendly...And pretty advanced in comparision to many of the nations in the region (of course no comparison to nations like Singapore, Hong Kong) but definitely better than Vietnam, China and the Philipines...

It is hot and humid...and yes sometimes quite backward...but it is one of the best places to visit on the planet....

The Thai people alone make the trip worthwhile....

 

[Ranma]

RE: Ray Elbe and TMT - the dude's a purple belt. Which is like 3-5 years of BJJ training. So I'm sure you can still learn from him unless you are already more accomplished than him, right?

And I'm sure if you are already tooling purple belts in BJJ, there are MT camps that have Black belt instructors. I can't remember off the top of my head but one of the Koh Samui camps had a BB from brazil teaching the MMA classes.

I know people who have recently trained at the WMC as well....and they made no mention of any Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at all; much less any Black Belts teaching there...

Could be another camp in Koh Samui I guess....